Tiago's Love Page 3

  “Maybe he was afraid that he would lose you.”

  “If he wanted me for real, he would’ve taken that risk. But if he didn’t want me as he said he would, then all he planned on doing was to prolong what we already had for as long as he could and when he’d get caught–– as it eventually happened, to put an end to it. And he sure did.”

  I pause to fill my lungs with air.

  “How did you find out?”

  “I booked a second date with Christian a while back before I started to spend time with this man. For some reason, I postponed calling the agency to cancel the date and told myself that I’d do it when I’d come back. I did. And that’s how I found out that I haven’t been charged for our first date and Christian was not in that hotel room that night, and I met a man who pretended that it was him.”

  As I listen to myself, I can see how laughable the picture I just painted with my words is.

  “I called him that night. It just happened that he didn’t answer right away. I don’t know why. There was no way he could’ve known why I called him, but maybe he sensed that something was wrong. We talked to each other earlier in the day, and everything was fine. He told me that he moved into a new place and was anxious to show it to me. I left him a message, yet I didn’t tell him what it was about. Regardless, I think my voice gave me away. I got increasingly anxious while I was waiting for his reply, so I sent him a few text messages. The more I insisted, the more I diminished my chances to talk to him. Later on, I realized that he was gone. He never called me back, and as it turned out, I had no way of finding him either.”

  I pause.

  Her eyes are sad, mirroring my feelings.

  “I really tried to find him these past few days, but I didn’t have any luck. Not by tracking his phone, or checking the two hotels in which he stayed. I even checked a few sports clubs. At the last venue, I found a few men who thought they’d seen him before, but the name and age and his history didn’t match what I know about him. So I gave up, and that’s that.”

  “I can talk to James. His people will find him. I’m sure they can.”

  “No, no. Please, no.”

  My voice shoots at her, drenched in desperation.

  “I can no longer deal with this crap. Besides, I don’t want to find him with the help of a private investigator. I don’t want to force myself back into his life. And even if I find him, what do I do next? Drill him with questions about why he lied to me or pretended that he liked me? You may be right. Perhaps, he wanted to have some fun and then pull away from me as fast as he could. Maybe he’s not proud of it as well. And maybe that’s the end of it. There’s no way things could be the same between us, anyway. He’d never get that smitten look from me again. And he’d never have my genuine admiration and unbridled affection for him either. I don’t want to force him out of his hiding and question him. Love is never about using force. Love is kind and never hurts a person. His lies hurt me more than he could imagine, and there is nothing he could do to make things good for me right now. Regretfully, this is what saddens me the most. As I was leaving the last gym club this evening, it dawned on me that the answer to this mess is not to find him. The most important thing is to forget about him, but that may never happen. The other thing that could help is to forgive him, but I need time for that as well. He could be in front of me right now, asking me for forgiveness, and things would stay just the same. There is nothing he can do about it. So yeah... It’s better if he stays away, and I never see him again. I will need time to make the memory of him fade away before I even think about going out with another man again.”

  4

  EVE

  New York, Sexton Penthouse

  “The man looks stunning,” I say under my breath as Rain, and I check our outfits in the large mirror, glancing from time to time to James who’s on the phone not far from us.

  Hand tucked in his pocket, his back turned to us, his phone next to his ear, he stands in front of the ceiling height windows, staring at the nocturnal view of the Manhattan skyline streaming through the glass.

  Black tuxedo pants and a white dress shirt set off his athletic silhouette, highlighting his broad shoulders, and his dark hair.

  “That he is,” she says, grinning before she shifts her gaze to the mirror.

  “And you look stunning too,” I mutter as I take in her flowing nude dress with bejeweled straps and a smoothly moving bottom.

  She smoothes the fabric across her belly.

  “You can’t tell, can you?”

  “No, you can’t.”

  “I can’t wait to have a little bump,” she says, her nose creasing with a smile.

  My eyes linger on her face. Her eyes sparkle, her cheeks glow.

  “I’m so happy for you two,” I say as I check the back of my dress in the mirror, making sure that my zipper sits straight along my spine.

  She spins to me and drapes her arms around my body, her small kiss on my cheek taking me by surprise.

  “Thank you for saying that.”

  She smoothly breaks our hug before she runs her eyes on me.

  “This dress fits you perfectly,” she says, inspecting my long red evening gown, the rhinestone trimming adorning the cut out shoulders and the tassels dangling from my belt. “You look like a 30s movie star,” she adds, her eyes glinting with genuine admiration.

  “Yeah, right,” I say, smiling. “I can say the same thing about you,” I comment, pointing to her dress.

  In all fairness, we picked similar gowns–– both reminiscent of that era.

  “I like this cut,” she says, gesturing toward her plunging cleavage, her open back and the leaf-like pattern at the bottom of her skirt.

  All covered in tiny shimmering beads.

  “Are you girls ready?”

  James’ voice resonates behind us.

  We both pivot, our eyes landing on him at once.

  “Looking good,” he says to both of us as he shrugs his tuxedo jacket on.

  Rain melts.

  I feel good, as well.

  Minutes later, we walk out of their place and step into the private elevator that takes us straight to the majestic lobby of the building.

  The concierge clerk greets us and accompanies up to the exit while the doorman holds the door open for us.

  Within moments, we set foot on the cold sidewalk, heading to the limousine.

  The driver rushes to open the door for us before we swiftly slide in. Rain and I fashion cloaks over our evening gowns while James sports a wool coat.

  It’s warm inside, so we all open our coats, Rain’s perfume and mine mixing with James’ cologne.

  Smoothly, the limo glides away, navigating the snow-covered streets, passing by windows sparkling with lights and Christmas trees.

  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Rain murmurs.

  Sitting across from each other, we both look out the window.

  “Yes, it is.”

  “I don’t think I could live here anymore, but visiting once in a while it’s okay,” she says, her gaze lingering on the snippets of life caught in the harsh winter outside. “I already miss my home,” she adds, her words making me feel nostalgic.

  “I don’t think I can live here for much longer, either,” I say with a light voice, although we both know that it’s a serious matter.

  “Have you thought about my proposal?” James asks.

  I shift my eyes to him.

  His head is tilted down as he checks something on his phone.

  “Yes,” I say.

  He swings his eyes to me and reads my expression for a moment.

  “I’ll give you an answer in January.”

  “Good,” he says after a moment.

  “Are you really thinking about coming back?” Rain asks, her eyes glinting with a smile.

  “Mmm-hmm. Yes. Other than my job, not much is keeping me here. My boss was talking about another promotion as the company expands next year, but work is not the only factor that plays a role in m
y decision.”

  Rain’s eyes fill with a grin.

  “I’m so happy,” she says to me, all giddy.

  “Don’t be just yet. I still have to think about it.”

  She swings her eyes to James, who observes us in silence.

  “Don’t worry,” he says to Rain, sliding his hand onto his wife's shoulder. “She’ll come back,” he says, making me smile, but my grin is bittersweet.

  Thirty minutes later, we enter the vast room that hosts the popular event, the place tastefully decorated for the occasion.

  The guests fashion tuxedos and elegant dresses, the servers busy, offering drinks and appetizers. Everybody is in a good mood.

  Why wouldn’t they be?

  Christmas is around the corner, and the atmosphere is festive, the air vibrating with greetings.

  Rain and I take seats at our table while James stays behind, talking to a couple of guests.

  She looks around the room, once in a while greeting people as well.

  Her grin falters at one point.

  “What is it?” I ask, as I notice the shift in her expression.

  She swings her eyes back to me.

  “You know what this place is?”

  “No.”

  “This is the same ballroom where James took me years back when he hired me to work as an escort for him. It was a Christmas party then as well. Lex and Ed were here with us.”

  For a moment, I try to remember what I was doing at that particular time.

  Despite my effort, I don’t have a clear recollection of those days, but I can guess.

  At the time, I had a boyfriend–– Andy, and I was in my second year of school, I think, and we were just before the winter break.

  I was probably at home with him, both in love–– or so we thought, playing house, thinking about the future, imagining us married, with kids perhaps.

  It was so childish, I flash a grin.

  “What?” she asks.

  Shaking my head in equal amusement and disbelief, I tip my gaze down, still smiling.

  “I just remembered those times.”

  “Why is it funny?”

  “I was so naive.”

  “Me too,” she says, her face beaming with a grin.

  “In many ways, you were in a better place than me,” I say.

  “You think?”

  Flicking my chin, I point to James.

  “You are here with him today, carrying his child,” I comment.

  Her smile softens, a nostalgic look sliding onto her face.

  “I am, aren’t I? I would’ve never thought that this was possible back then,” she says, flicking her chin and pointing to the people and our surroundings. “I was so young and full of contradictions, I must’ve driven him crazy.”

  “And it worked.”

  “Yes, it did,” she says, sunk in thought. “That night... Oh, my. That night. I can’t believe we were so wild,” she says, a soft smile lining her lips. “We were playing with fire. Big time. That was the same night when I ran into David Moore and his now ex-wife.”

  She breathes out a bitter laugh.

  “I can’t believe that I threw a fit and got mad at her. Of course, she was upset with me. Who wouldn’t be? Anyway, I don’t even want to think about it,” she says as she shakes her head softly. “I’m happy that I’m no longer that person.”

  “I, on the other hand, had everything lined up for a bright future with Andy,” I say, garnishing my words with a dash of self-deprecating humor.

  “Yes, you did. You always wanted a man to settle with.”

  “Mmm-hmm. And look what I got,” I say picking a glass of champagne from the platter of a server who stops near us and offers us drinks.

  “Water for me, please,” Rain says.

  “I’ll be right back,” the man says before he dashes away.

  She brings her eyes to me.

  “I don’t know if what you got made you happy, but I think it was a lot, and you should be proud of it,” she says. “And in regard to the other thing, I’ve never seen you looking hotter, and you could have any available man in this room tonight.”

  “You’re kind. And you’re trying to flatter me.”

  “It’s the truth.”

  I set the glass down.

  “Not to say, that you are an accomplished woman,” she continues.

  “Thank you. I like that part.”

  “I’ve always admired you,” she says, her words making me lift my eyebrows in surprise.

  “Really?”

  “Mmm-hmm.”

  Our conversation hits pause as the server returns with a bottle of water and fills a glass for Rain before he sets it in front of her on the table.

  “Thank you,” she says.

  The server smoothly nods and paces away.

  “I always admired you for your drive and ambition and for the fact that you were good at everything that you did. School and work. I know how hard it is to make it in New York, probably harder than anywhere else, and yet, you made it.”

  “I had to. Had I not succeeded I would’ve had to go back home with nothing to show for.”

  “Well, the good thing is that you might move back home, anyway,” she says, smiling.

  “Yes, but if it happens, it would be different. Never in my life, I would’ve thought that I’d be working for Sexton International. No way.” I say, breathing out a chuckle.

  “It all worked out well,” she says, her words helping me to get a different perspective on things.

  “Yes, it did,” I murmur, absently.

  A few moments of silence tick by before I lift my gaze and catch sight of a familiar face.

  “Speaking of men. What is he doing here? Wasn’t he supposed to be in Monaco?” I ask, my eyes trained on David Moore.

  He shakes hands with James before they both look in our direction.

  Rain glances at me.

  “He’s home for the Holidays.”

  A secret smile tugs at her lips as the two men head our way.

  “Do you have anything to do with this?” I ask suspiciously.

  “No, I don’t.”

  “James?”

  “Can’t comment,” she mutters under her breath, just as David Moore and James near our table.

  EVE

  I can’t say I’m not flattered by the attention that he gives me.

  David Moore is just what the doctor ordered, and whether it was Rain or James or both who had the idea to take my mind away from my tormenting love life, it works.

  As Rain and I agreed, Christian’s name has never brought into the conversation again after that night when I confessed to her.

  I can’t say that the passing of time has done anything to help me feel less emotional about him.

  In all fairness, there hasn’t been much time, and despite my efforts to bury myself in work and keep myself occupied with my friends, I couldn’t pull Christian out of my mind.

  But tonight, the distraction works.

  Quite a few times, David hints at me that he likes me, and I have to give him credit for making me feel a little more confident after the big fallout with Christian.

  “Please excuse me,” I mutter as I push my chair back, ready to go to the ladies room.

  “I need to go, too,” Rain says as she rises to her feet.

  The men stay behind and continue their conversation while we sashay across the event room and enter a corridor that takes us to the restrooms in the back.

  “What do you think of this evening so far?” Rain asks a few minutes later as we wash our hands and look in the mirror, checking our makeup.

  “It’s nice,” I say, drying off my hands with a paper towel.

  She does the same thing, watching me in silence. I swing my eyes to her.

  “He’s a fascinating man,” I say.

  “And he’s interested in you right now.”

  I grin.

  “The keyword is ‘right now’.”

  “He could be the remedy for y
our heartache.”

  “A heartache that replaces a heartache. No, thank you,” I say jokingly.

  “You don’t know that until you try.”

  “I don’t need to try it so that I know. He is too big of a puzzle for me. And I am too much of a mess right now to even think about going out with another man.”

  I pivot to walk away from the sink and out of the restroom when she grabs my hand.

  I whip my gaze at her.

  “Please don’t tell me that you want to go back to where you were before Christian.”

  A sad smile tugs at my lips.

  “First off, his name is not Christian, and secondly, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “I don’t want to see you in that place again, Eve. Disheartened, and with your self-confidence shot. Miserable and hopeless. You’ve been in that place for so long you don’t need to spend one more minute in that place. This is the kind of story that has the power to put anyone in a dungeon of misery, let alone you. You can do better than that.”

  “I am doing better than that. I try to come to terms with the fact that this shit happens and when it does, it’s not the end of the world. At the same time, I don’t want to deal with another mishap, not until I heal or forget or both. No man is a sure bet, and David Moore sure isn’t. Besides, I can’t feel a thing for a man right now, and it’s not fair to blow it with him just because I’m still thinking about someone else.”

  She searches my eyes for a few seconds. The more she reads them, the more rueful her expression becomes.

  “I know you, Eve. You are not going to let go of him. In time, you will chip away at this memory, remove the ugly bits, and preserve what you had good with him. You’d even make yourself forget what an asshole he was with you because you need the memory of him so much. And then whoever would come your way would need to compete with him.”

  A small smile tickles my lips.

  “You know it’s not true.”